The Department of Health (DOH) on Saturday, Jan. 11, addressed circulating "false claims" regarding individuals conducting blood sugar tests with needles contaminated with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
In an advisory, the DOH warned the public about a "circulating message on social media falsely claiming to be from a member of the Faculty of Medicine visiting homes for a blood sugar test."
The DOH said the post claims that "the needles used for the test are allegedly contaminated with HIV."
'Scare tactic'
The Philippine National Police (PNP), the DOH said, has also "debunked this message," confirming that it is a "scare tactic with no factual basis."
Meanwhile, the DOH urged the public "not to share unverified claims that may cause unnecessary alarm."
The DOH also encouraged the public to source information only from legitimate sources and platforms, such as the health department’s official social media accounts.